Suppressed antibody response to sheep erythrocytes in experimentally Babesia rodhaini-infected mice.

Mice experimentally infected with Babesia rodhaini were immunized with sheep red blood cells (SRBC), and the splenic plaque forming cell (PFC) response to SRBC was investigated. Suppressed splenic antibody response to SRBC accompanied with the elevated parasitemia was recognized. This evidence suggests that an immunosuppression in B. rodhaini infection may be involved in the multiplication of parasites contributing to high mortality of mice infected with B. rodhaini.